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Senate committee votes to extend Colorado’s safe‑haven surrender window to 30 days
Summary
HB 26‑1024 would extend Colorado’s safe‑haven surrender window from 72 hours to 30 days; the Senate Health and Human Services Committee advanced the measure unanimously and added it to the consent calendar after proponents from medical, public‑health and community groups urged the change to reduce unsafe abandonments.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee on March 29 advanced House Bill 26‑1024, which would extend Colorado’s safe‑haven newborn surrender period from 72 hours to 30 days.
Sponsors said the change aligns Colorado with the majority of states and with clinical evidence about postpartum stability and maternal mental health. Senator Frizzell, a sponsor, said extending the window recognizes that new parents face intense postpartum physiologic and emotional change and gives more time for decisions to be made safely and without panic.
Healthcare professionals, Safe Haven advocates and maternal mental‑health experts described how the additional time can prevent unsafe abandonments and allow parents to access help. Kelly Bernardo, a board‑certified women’s health nurse practitioner and member of Colorado Safe Haven for Newborns, said Colorado has recorded over 100 safe‑haven surrenders since the law’s 2000 enactment and noted more than 40 illegal abandonments; she told senators a longer window allows decisions to occur with greater clarity and dignity.
Other witnesses — including Sarah Wagner of Colorado Safe Haven for Newborns, Whitney Frost (a maternal‑mental‑health expert), and Colleen Enos (a parent and supporter) — testified that states that have expanded to a 30‑day window have not seen evidence that expansions increase surrenders and that longer windows better reflect the clinical timing of postpartum mental‑health challenges.
Nathan Fisher of the Colorado Catholic Conference and other community and faith leaders urged bipartisan support and characterized the change as low cost and life‑saving. After testimony and sponsor remarks, the committee moved HB 26‑1024 to the committee of the whole with a favorable recommendation, recorded a 5‑0 vote in the transcript and placed the bill on the consent calendar.
Next steps: HB 26‑1024 will proceed to the committee of the whole; sponsors and stakeholders said they will work on implementation materials and awareness campaigns to ensure the public and safe‑haven locations understand the extended window.
